(Newser)
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Rescuers are racing to southeastern Mexico by boat and helicopter to free 300,000 people trapped in their homes by massive flooding, the BBC reports. Nearly 70% of the state of Tabasco is under water and all crops have been obliterated. "We are just like New Orleans," the governor said of his low-lying state. One person has died.

Heavy rains began last weekend, causing rivers to burst their banks. Only trees and rooftops are visible in Tabasco's capital, Villahermosa. Mexican President Felipe Calderon flew over the state and promised federal help for residents whose homes were damaged or lost. The storms have closed three major oil ports and halted a fifth of the nation's oil production.